Southeast Europe · Europe

Bulgaria

Discover Bulgaria - home to Thracian gold, Rose Valley, yogurt culture, and the oldest processed gold in the world, bridging the Balkans and the Black Sea.

Where Is Bulgaria?

Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe. Its capital is Sofia.

Where Bulgaria isSoutheast Europe · Capital Sofia

Plan a trip · 5 guides

Capital Sofia
Population 6.43M
Area 110,879 km²

Bulgaria has been around since 681 AD, making it one of the oldest surviving states in Europe - older than France, England, or Spain. The First Bulgarian Empire was a genuine power that rivaled Byzantium, and the Cyrillic alphabet that half of Eastern Europe uses was actually developed here in the 9th century. And yet, most people's first association with Bulgaria is... yogurt? Which is fair, because Bulgarian yogurt really is different - it contains a unique strain of bacteria literally named Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Beyond the yogurt, Bulgaria packs a surprising amount into a small country. The Black Sea coast has resort towns and ancient Greek ruins. The Rose Valley near Kazanlak produces 85% of the world's rose oil. Sofia is a capital with Roman ruins under its streets and a 1,600-year-old church that's been in continuous use. The skiing is cheap and good, the hiking in the Rila and Pirin mountains is spectacular, and the Thracian tombs scattered across the countryside contain some of the most stunning gold artifacts ever discovered.

At a glance

Language

Bulgarian

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Calling Code

+359

Drives On

Right

Internet

.bg

Timezone

EET (UTC+2)

Script

Cyrillic

Government

Parliamentary Republic

Independence

1908

Travel guides

Plan a trip to Bulgaria

All 5 Bulgaria guides

Skiers on the snow below the Bansko gondola station, with cabins overhead and the town behind

Bulgaria · Pirin · 5 days

5 Days in Bansko

Bulgaria's biggest ski resort, planned day by day: three ski days, a stone Old Town, Rila Monastery and a soak in hot springs.

Bases: Bansko, Dobrinishte

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

Old houses of Veliko Tarnovo stacked on the cliffs above the Yantra gorge, with green hills behind in late-afternoon light.

Bulgaria · 5 days

5 Days in Veliko Tarnovo

The medieval capital of Bulgaria, stacked on the cliffs above a looping river. Five days of tsars, painted churches and Revival-era crafts.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The Dormition Cathedral in Varna with its gilded domes lit by golden evening sun against a grey sky.

Bulgaria · 5 days

5 Days in Varna

The oldest gold ever found, Roman baths by the port, a park the size of a town and the Black Sea at its feet. Five days on Bulgaria's coast.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

By population

Largest cities in Bulgaria

Sofia

One of Europe's oldest capitals, sitting at the foot of Vitosha Mountain with Roman, Ottoman, and Soviet layers of history

1,307,000

Plovdiv

European Capital of Culture 2019, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities with a stunning Roman amphitheater

347,000

Varna

Black Sea port city home to the world's oldest processed gold treasure, dating to 4600 BC

336,000

Burgas

Black Sea coastal city and gateway to the southern beach resorts, with a lively Sea Garden park

203,000

Veliko Tarnovo

Medieval capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, dramatically built on three hills around the Yantra River gorge

73,000

People

Famous people from Bulgaria

Saints Cyril and Methodius
Language
Created the Glagolitic alphabet that evolved into Cyrillic, the basis for writing in Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and more
Grigor Dimitrov
Sport
Tennis star nicknamed Baby Fed, reached ATP No. 3 and won the ATP Finals in 2017
Hristo Stoichkov
Sport
Won the Ballon d'Or in 1994 and led Bulgaria to the World Cup semi-finals, Barcelona legend
Elias Canetti
Literature
Born in Ruse, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1981 for his novel Auto-da-Fe
Christo
Art
Monumental environmental artist famous for wrapping buildings and landscapes, including the Reichstag and the Pont Neuf
John Atanasoff
Science
Bulgarian-American who invented the first electronic digital computer, the Atanasoff-Berry Computer

Food

Traditional cuisine of Bulgaria

Shopska Salad: Bulgaria's signature salad - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and onions buried under a snow of grated white cheese
Banitsa: Flaky filo pastry filled with eggs and white cheese, eaten for breakfast and traditionally at New Year with lucky charms inside
Kebapche: Spiced minced meat sausages grilled over charcoal, the Bulgarian BBQ essential
Tarator: Cold yogurt soup with cucumber, garlic, dill, and walnuts - the perfect summer refreshment
Kavarma: Slow-cooked meat and vegetable stew baked in a clay pot, seasoned with paprika and herbs
Kiselo Mlyako: Bulgarian yogurt - naturally thick and tangy, containing the unique Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Bulgaria

Rila MountainsMountain: Home to Musala (2,925m), the highest peak in the Balkans, and the famous Rila Monastery
Seven Rila LakesLake: Stunning group of glacial lakes at different elevations in the Rila Mountains, each with its own name and character
Pirin National ParkNational Park: UNESCO-listed mountain park with alpine landscapes, ancient Bosnian pines, and over 100 glacial lakes
Rose ValleyLandmark: Between the Balkan and Sredna Gora mountains, producing 85% of the world's rose oil every June
Belogradchik RocksLandmark: Spectacular natural rock formations resembling figures and animals, combined with a Roman fortress
Black Sea CoastCoast: 378 km of coastline with sandy beaches, ancient towns like Nessebar (UNESCO), and resort cities

Sport

Sports in Bulgaria

Football: Fourth place at the 1994 World Cup in the USA, the greatest achievement in Bulgarian sports history
Weightlifting: Historically one of the world's strongest weightlifting nations with numerous Olympic gold medals
Wrestling: Multiple Olympic medals in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, a traditional Bulgarian sport
Tennis: Grigor Dimitrov reached world No. 3 and won the ATP Finals, the highest-ranked Bulgarian player ever

Facts

Did you know?

The Cyrillic alphabet was created in Bulgaria in the 9th century and is now used by over 250 million people
Bulgarians shake their head to mean 'yes' and nod to mean 'no' - the opposite of most of the world
The oldest processed gold in the world was found in Varna, dating to around 4600 BC
Bulgaria produces 85% of the world's rose oil, which is more expensive per ounce than gold
Bulgarian yogurt is unique because of the Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria, found naturally only in Bulgarian air
The country has been called Bulgaria continuously since 681 AD, making it one of the oldest state names in Europe
Bulgaria's national instrument, the gaida (bagpipe), was recorded on the Voyager Golden Record sent into space